


In a Moment

by thekrakenhasbeenunleashed



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-09 05:49:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4336289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekrakenhasbeenunleashed/pseuds/thekrakenhasbeenunleashed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beca and Chloe have finally found happiness with each other and Beca is ready to begin her life with the woman she loves. Tragedy strikes and both women are faced with just how fragile life can be. </p><p>Note: This is one of my older works that I'm transferring from FF to AO3... So if it seems like you've read it before, there's a chance you could have.  ;)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"Live every day as if it were going to be your last; for one day you're sure to be right." ~Harry "Breaker" Harbord Morant

***

 _Perfect_. That's what the evening was supposed to be. How, then, had everything gone so horribly wrong? Beca had never really considered how her life would end. She had certainly never really considered the possibility of her life ending before she had even begun to really experience it.  
She could faintly make out Chloe frantically chanting her name through the fog in her mind. She could hear the redhead's heartbreaking pleas for her to hold on.  
"Don't you dare leave me Beca Mitchell! I need you! Please hold on! I can't lose you. I love you!"  
She desperately yearned to reach out and comfort the other woman. She wanted to hold her and assure her that everything would be alright, but she couldn't. The only thing she could do was lie limply in Chloe's tight embrace while her life slowly faded away.  
It wasn't supposed to end like this. How could life be so incredibly cruel? She had finally found where she belonged in the world; or more accurately who she belonged with, only to have it ripped away in a fleeting moment.  
A shroud of darkness began to engulf Beca's whole being. Her eyelids felt incredibly heavy and her entire body felt numb and cold. The last thing she saw in her mind before the darkness carried her away was flowing red hair, a pair of bright blue eyes, and a smile that could light the entire world.  _Chloe_ …


	2. Going Back to the Beginning

_One year ago…_

To the outside world, Beca Mitchell seemed to have the perfect life. She was now the leader of the reigning ICCA champions, she had a group of close knit and very loyal friends, and she was in a picture perfect relationship with the seemingly perfect guy. Yes, to anybody looking from the outside in, Beca had it all. Only she knew the real truth.

In spite of all the good things going on in her life, something was missing. Beca knew that she should be content with the direction her life had taken, but something deep inside her could never feel complete. She felt like a puzzle that's missing it's final piece. Deep in her heart she knew that she was fated for a life different from the one she was currently living.

She and Jesse had been dating ever since the night of the ICCA Finals. She had tried to make it work for his sake, but there was just no spark there. It had only taken a short while for her to come to the realization that she could only care for Jesse as a friend. In all actuality, she had known this the whole time, but he had been so persistent. He had pushed until she was convinced that she was just putting up emotional barriers and that she was just afraid of showing her vulnerable side.

So many times she had asked herself why she even stayed in the relationship. She knew it was wrong to string Jesse along, but she was afraid. She was afraid to leave the comfort of what she was familiar with to venture into new and unsure territory. In typical Beca fashion, she refused to face her problems head on.

Beca missed the way things used to be. Back when Chloe and Aubrey were still at Barden, and she was the freshman "alt girl" whose main purpose in life was to be Aubrey's own personal pain in the ass. Though she and Chloe still stayed in contact with each other, it just wasn't the same. She missed Chloe's spontaneity and bubbly disposition. She missed late night talks in Chloe's dorm and she missed seeing that one of a kind smile that seemed to be permanently etched into the other woman's face.

It wasn't until Aubrey and Chloe moved to New York that Beca realized what a big part of her life that Chloe actually was. She was left with this giant void in her life that nothing could fill. Chloe had been the first person in her life to accept her just the way she is. She never demanded anything of her and she never tried to change who she was. The walls that stopped everyone else from making a real connection with Beca never once deterred Chloe. She bulldozed right through every wall that Beca had ever constructed around her heart and honestly, Beca could never bring herself to be alarmed by how easily she was able to pull it off.

She was well aware that her feelings for the redhead went well beyond what a friend is supposed to feel. It was something she had come to terms with. So often she wanted to tell Chloe the true nature of her feelings, but she somehow always convinced herself that it was a bad idea. The fear of rejection overruled the desire to make her feelings known. Having Chloe in her life, even if it was just as friends, was better than nothing. Right?


	3. Plans

Beca sat at her desk, completely lost in one of her new mixes. There were few things in life that gave her as much pleasure as music. Whereas life was complicated and confusing, music was simple and always made perfect sense. Her mixes were her escape from reality. It was a chance to let go and stop thinking about everything that troubled her mind.

She wasn't going to over analyze the fact that most of her mixes seemed to draw their inspiration from a certain blue eyed beauty. At first she hadn't even realized what she was doing. Somehow her subconscious mind was always drawn to songs that in some small way or another reminded her of Chloe. It was no big surprise, really. Her mind was constantly plagued with thoughts of the other woman.

It was as if Chloe had somehow sensed that Beca's mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of her, because right at that moment the screen on Beca's phone flashed indicating that she had a new text message.

_Chloe: Hey you! =) I miss you!_

Beca smiled as she read the message. Chloe hadn't changed at all since moving to New York. That was one of the things that Beca admired most about Chloe. She wasn't afraid to be herself and she didn't change who she was to please anybody. Chloe was and always would be the kindest and most genuine person she had ever known. She typed out a quick reply and hit send.

_Beca: Hey there! I miss you too. When are you going to break away from the Big Apple and come visit me?_

They had taken every opportunity they could to visit each other, but with both of them wrapped up in their own busy lives, it wasn't nearly as often as they would have liked.

_Chloe: That's actually the reason I'm texting. Do you have any plans this weekend?_

_Beca: No. Why? Did you have something in mind? Please for the love of all that is holy tell me you do. I can't take another one of Jesse's "movication nights" If I have to sit through another cheesy romance I think I may pull an Aubrey and hurl._

That was how she spent most of her weekends. Jesse would bring over what he deemed " must watch cinematic classics" and they would lie in her dorm room, eat too salty popcorn, and watch what Beca considered to be overrated and predictable plotlines. Well, Jesse would watch. She usually made it about 20 minutes in before she completely lost focus. She had tried to get Jesse to be interested in other things, but it was pretty much a waste of time. As nice as Jesse was, he was a bit self centered. If it wasn't something that interested him, it ceased to be an option. Instead of raising issue with it, Beca figured it was easier to simply indulge him.

_Chloe: Lol. I was actually planning on coming down this weekend. You wouldn't happen to know anybody with a single dorm who could put me up for the weekend do you? ;)_

Beca had been fortunate enough to land a single dorm room for her Senior year at Barden, and frankly she couldn't be happier. Kimmy Jin had been a walk in the park compared to the roommates she'd had the misfortune of being assigned the previous two years.

Sophomore year she had been paired with Thora. Oh God… just thinking back on it made Beca cringe. Thora was… interesting. She was a very shy and quiet girl, which in itself could have been very beneficial for Beca. The only problem was that Thora was a devout Wiccan. Now, obviously, Beca was all about self expression and freedom to believe what you wanted to, but the day she came in to find Thora dancing around the dorm room buck naked and chanting, she knew she was in for a hell of a year.

The girl she had been paired with Junior year had her begging for Thora and her Skyclad rituals to come back. Thinking back, Beca can't think of a single thing she liked about Serena. The girl was a total slob. The entire side of her room constantly looked like something had blown up. Not to mention being woken up at ungodly hours of the night by drunken stumbles and crashes. The absolute icing on the cake, though, was the frequent late night "visitors" Serena would have over. Seriously, who does that with your roommate like five feet away in the next bed?

_Beca: Hmmm… I think I may know someone. If you can deal with her bad attitude and near constant sarcasm, I think I can pull some strings._

_Chloe: Great! Then I will see you this weekend! I'm so excited! =D_

_Beca: See you then Chlo. Can't wait._

Immediately after sending off her last text message, Beca began to think about how this weekend was going to pan out. This would be the first time she had spent the night in the same room as Chloe since she realized her true feelings for the woman.  _Shit…_  She hadn't even considered how this was going to affect things.  _Just play it cool Beca… Don't make things awkward. Then she'll know something's up. It's just two friends hanging out and catching up after not seeing each other for awhile. Just chill the fuck out…_

Of course, she'd have to let Jesse know she wouldn't be free to hang out this weekend. She knew it wasn't normal to feel relief that she had an excuse not to hang out with her boyfriend. She knew eventually she would have to come clean and just tell him the truth. She thought back to all the times she had plucked up the courage to break up with him. Each and every time she had come up with an excuse to put it off for a little while longer. She regretted that she had taken so long to come clean. She had allowed Jesse to care more and more about her as time passed until she realized how much she would actually hurt him when she was finally able to do it. She couldn't think about that right now though. Right now she had to prepare. Chloe was going to be coming in just a few days.


	4. Catching Up

The next few days passed by in a blur for Beca. It was now Saturday morning and Chloe would be arriving in just a few short hours. She was a nervous wreck. She had convinced herself that Chloe would be able to sense that something had changed between them. The last thing she needed was for the woman to find out and get scared away. Just the thought of not having Chloe in her life was enough to break her heart.

For reasons that even Beca couldn't understand, she hadn't told Jesse about Chloe coming in for a visit. She had given some lame excuse about a term paper to justify not being able to hang out. She knew Jesse wasn't stupid. He had been suspicious, but hadn't really pushed the issue for once. She felt kind of guilty, really. She had lied and she didn't even know why she had done it. It wasn't like she was cheating on him with Chloe. So, why had she felt the need to keep this weekend a secret?

Beca had cleaned her dorm room so thoroughly that even the most excessive neat freak would be impressed. She had rearranged the entire contents of her room about 10 times. If she didn't calm her nerves before Chloe arrived, the woman would definitely know Beca was hiding something. Chloe had always been able to read her like a book. It was a bit maddening, actually. After rearranging the throw pillows on her bed for probably the hundredth time, Beca decided that she needed to find something to distract her until Chloe arrived.

She attempted to make some new mixes. Three terrible mixes later, she decided that wasn't working either.  _Jesus, Beca! You have got to get your shit together. Just because you have feelings for Chloe doesn't mean things need to be awkward. What is Chloe going to think if you're a bumbling mess when she gets here?_ Okay… she could do this.  _What can I do to calm myself down? Meditate? No… I don't have the attention span for that. Maybe I can find somebody with some weed. I'm sure somebody in the High Notes can hook me up. No, that's a terrible idea. Yoga? Heh…Yeah right._ God, why was this so difficult?

Beca finally settled for browsing the internet. It wasn't something she did often but it didn't require a lot of concentration and she could almost always find something to capture her attention. After browsing through the latest news in the music world, she logged into her Facebook and checked her notifications. After rejecting the usual barrage of game invitations, she started scrolling through her newsfeed.

Fat Amy

I was in the grocery store last night when this kid flicked Skittles at me and said "Taste the rainbow". I flung a 2 liter of Coca-Cola at him and said "Open Happiness!"

Lilly Onakuramara shared Firestarters photo

Cynthia Rose is in a Relationship with Stacie Conrad.

Beca's eyebrows shot up at the last one. Cynthia Rose finally got her girl. Good for her. Beca smiled at the thought of the two women together. She hit the like button. She would definitely have to congratulate the two on Monday.

A knock on the door interrupted her musings. She glanced at the clock.  _Shit… Chloe._ She logged off and closed her laptop and walked over to answer the door. The moment the door opened the redhead let out a squeal and charged into her gathering her up into a warm hug. Chloe's lack of personal boundaries was something that Beca found unusual when she first met her but now it was one of the biggest things she missed about the woman. She smiled and returned the hug. She felt at home wrapped in Chloe's arms.

When they finally broke their hold on one another, Beca helped Chloe gather her things and they moved inside.

"I've missed you so much! I think I'm going to kidnap you and bring you back to New York with me," Chloe giggled.

"I'm sure Aubrey might have a few objections to that." Beca smirked. It was so great to see that beautiful smile again. Beca stood back and looked at Chloe. She was so perfect. "So what are you up for this weekend? You get to choose since you're my guest."

"I think I'd like to just stay in and catch up if that's okay with you. I want to make the most out of the time that I've got with you before I head back to New York." Chloe looked to Beca for her approval.

"That sounds great," Beca scooted back on her bed and leaned up against the wall, with Chloe following suit. Beca felt a flutter in her stomach from the feeling of Chloe's side pressed up so closely against hers. It was wonderful and terrifying all at once being this close to Chloe again.

"So how are all of the Bellas doing?" Chloe asked while she leaned her head over on Beca's shoulder.

"Crazy as usual." Beca laughed. "Fat Amy is as unpredictable as ever. God only knows what Lilly has going on. Although I think Donald keeps her occupied so I'm pretty sure she's not silently plotting someone's murder anymore. Oh, and apparently Cynthia Rose and Stacie are dating now."

Chloe giggled. "Are you really surprised at all? I'm just surprised it's taken this long for them to come to their senses."

"I guess we all sort of saw it coming," Beca admitted. "How's Aubrey doing?"

Chloe smiled at the mention of her best friend. "She's doing great. New York has been really good for her. She's not the same Aubrey you first met. She's really loosened up and stopped taking everything so seriously."

"If you tell her I said this I will hunt you down and make you suffer, but I actually miss Aubrey." Beca confessed. "I mean, I have absolutely nobody to argue with now." Beca laughed mischievously.

Chloe lifted her head and playfully nudged Beca's shoulder . "Your secret is safe with me." Maybe it was just Beca's mind playing tricks on her but Chloe's smile seemed to shift from it's usual natural ease to something that could only be described as forced. "How are you and Jesse doing?" Chloe inquired.

Beca was fighting an internal battle in that moment. Should she lie and say that everything was going fine or should she be honest? She was never good at lying to Chloe, so the woman would probably see straight through her dishonesty. She figured the truth was probably the best option.

"I don't know. I'm not really happy with him anymore. You know? It's just not there for me. I know he's in love with me and it makes me feel so guilty that I can't return those feelings. I've known for a while that I don't care for him the same way he cares for me. I've just been too much of a coward to tell him all this." Beca didn't mean to pour her heart out. It was just so easy to talk to Chloe.

Chloe's eyes shone with compassion and understanding. "Don't feel bad Beca. Being afraid doesn't make you a bad person. The fact that you don't want to hurt him shows what a wonderful person you really are, but you know you need to tell him. It's what's best for both of you in the end. It might hurt him for a little bit, but he'll get over it eventually."

"Thank you, Chlo. Everybody knows I'm not the best at this whole opening up thing, but you always make it easier for me." Beca locked eyes with Chloe. "I honestly don't know what my life would be like without you."

Chloe brought her hand up and tucked a strand of hair behind Beca's ear, resting her palm against Beca's cheek for a brief moment before bringing her hand down again."I don't know what I would do without you either. Let's just hope we never have to find out."

Beca felt her heart race from the brief contact they shared. She was almost positive a blush had risen to her cheeks. If Chloe kept up her typical touchy feely behavior it was sure to be the longest weekend of Beca's life.


	5. Confessions

Beca and Chloe spent their entire Saturday talking and laughing and recalling the memorable times they all had together when they were in the Bellas together. Beca hadn't felt this happy in a really long time. It reminded her of her freshman year at Barden when Chloe would come over for impromptu sleepovers, much to Kimmy Jin's intense displeasure. Being there with Chloe felt so right to Beca.

Before they knew it, daytime turned into nighttime, and they were both surprised at how quickly the day had passed by. Chloe smiled over at Beca. "It doesn't even seem like we've been talking that long. I guess what they say is true. Time flies when you're having fun."

For a moment, Beca found herself lost in Chloe's gaze. It took a moment for her brain to process that Chloe was waiting for her to say something. "Oh! Yeah, no kidding. Who knew anything I had to say could be so interesting that someone could spend all day listening to me." Beca put on her signature smirk.

Beca's phone vibrated on the desk next to her. She picked it up and glanced at the screen. She had received a new text message from Fat Amy.

_Fat Amy: Party at the amphitheater at 11 aca-bitches! I better see you flat butts there!_

Beca rolled her eyes but laughed nonetheless. "I just got a text from Fat Amy inviting me to a party at the amphitheater tonight. It would be a good chance for you to see the Bellas while you're in. You up for it?"

Chloe's eyes brightened with excitement. "Definitely! I never could pass up an opportunity for a good party." Chloe winked at her and Beca could have melted into puddle right then and there.

When they arrived, the party was in full swing. Fat Amy caught sight of them and stumbled over to where they were standing. "Beca! You came," she turned her drunken gaze to Chloe, "and you brought Little Red Riding Head with you! Let's get this party started!"

Beca looked at her with an amused grin. "Looks like you started your party a while back. You gonna be okay to walk down the stairs?"

"This is nothing!" Fat Amy slurred. "In Tasmania, I was the undefeated drinking champ. They call me the Tasmanian Devil." In an attempt to prove her point, she started descending the stone steps backwards all the while still looking up at Beca and Chloe. By the time she reached the bottom she had caused about 3 people to drop their drinks and had bumped into Unicycle, effectively sending him and his beloved unicycle crashing down to the ground.

Beca and Chloe exchanged glances and burst out into a fit of laughter.

"Oh my God. I've missed this." Chloe said in between giggles. "Life just isn't as interesting without all of you guys around."

They made their way down the steps to where they had spotted the rest of the Bellas. After everybody had properly greeted Chloe, she wandered off to get drinks for Beca and herself. Beca looked around to see if she could spot Jesse anywhere. After failing to spot him, she directed her attention towards the rest of the group. "Have you guys seen Jesse here?"

Donald, who was in visiting Lilly, was the first to speak up. "He was here for a little while but he and Benji decided to go and work on the Treblemakers' set list."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks Donald." Beca felt relieved that she wouldn't have to explain why she was here with Chloe and how she had conveniently forgotten to tell him Chloe was in for the weekend."

Chloe returned back to the group handing Beca a red cup full of an unknown substance. Beca cautiously brought the cup up and sniffed its contents and was immediately hit with the powerful smell of booze. "Jesus, Chlo! How much alcohol is in this?"

Chloe gave her an innocent look. "I've never seen you drink a lot and I just want you to let loose and have a little fun. Come on, Beca. Drink it for me?" Chloe flashed her best puppy dog pout and Beca knew she was screwed.

"Ugh… fine, but if I get drunk and do something stupid I'm totally blaming you." Beca brought the cup up to her mouth and took a ginger sip immediately recoiling from the overpowering taste of the alcohol. "You suck at making drinks by the way." Beca deadpanned.

Chloe laughed and playfully smacked Beca in the arm. "Fine then, next time you can get your own drink. I suppose that's what I get for being nice." she teased.

Three cups of Chloe's "jiggle juice" later, Beca was definitely feeling the alcohol. Chloe had had her fair share as well and they were both struggling to keep their balance. They bade their farewells to their friends, and slowly started their trek back to Beca's dorm.

"Oh my God, who rearranged campus? I swear that building was definitely not there before." Beca said seriously.

"You are so drunk." Chloe laughed, stumbling over her own feet.

"You're not exactly the poster child for sob-, sobr-… for not being drunk yourself." Beca shot back.

Chloe burst out laughing at that one. "You're adorable when you're drunk."

Beca's alcohol hazed brain couldn't stop what came out of her mouth next. "You're just adorable. Drunk, not drunk, you're just adorable all the time."  _Holy shit… did you just say that out loud?_

There was a brief awkward silence before Chloe interrupted it. "You really think I'm adorable?" she asked quietly.

"Well, yeah. I mean, anybody with eyes and half a brain can see that. You're amazing Chlo." Beca mumbled.

Beca felt Chloe stop and gently tug on her arm so she would stop as well. Before Beca knew what was happening, Chloe's lips were crashing against hers and it didn't take long until she was returning the kiss. She wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck and she felt Chloe's hands grip her waist and pull her flush against her warm, slender body.  _This is definitely what heaven feels like._ Chloe slowly pulled back and smiled shyly at Beca.

"I have wanted to do that for so long." Chloe confessed. "I've had a thing for you ever since the day I saw you at the activities fair."

The kiss had sobered the both of them up considerably. Beca's heart was racing.  _Did she really just admit she had feelings for me?_ Beca was positive she had passed out from the alcohol and she was having a dream. "Why didn't you say anything until now?"

"I wasn't sure how you would respond, and after the ICCAs you and Jesse started dating. I just figured if the only way I could have you in my life would be as a friend, then I would take what I could get." Chloe confessed.

"So where do we go from here?" Beca asked.

"That's up to you." Chloe said. "You have to decide if you want to stay with Jesse, or if you want to venture out of your safety zone and give you and I a chance."

Beca didn't even have to think about it. She knew what she wanted. Now she just had to grow a spine and break up with Jesse. "I want you, Chloe. I've wanted you for such a long time now and I was scared to do anything about it. I'll do whatever it takes to be with you."

Excitement shone in Chloe's eyes. "Well, let's worry about everything tomorrow when we've both slept the alcohol off. Right now I want to go back to your dorm and cuddle."

"Sounds perfect." was Beca's simple response. Chloe grabbed Beca's hand, entwining their fingers, and led the way back to the dorms. Beca couldn't believe this was all happening. Best. Weekend. Ever.


	6. New Beginnings

Beca awoke the next morning in a state of confusion. Her head ached, she had a severe case of cotton mouth, and… she couldn't move the entire left side of her body? She cracked one eye open slightly to investigate the source of her current immobilization. At first she was slightly taken aback when she was greeted by a cascade of flaming ginger locks, but then memories of the previous night came creeping back. She smiled as she recalled the feeling of soft lips and Chloe's gentle touch.  _How is this even real? The girl of my dreams cares for me in the same way I care for her._ Beca briefly wondered if she had imagined the whole thing within the confines of her dreams.

She glanced over at the clock beside of her bed. It was 10:45 am. They had slept most of the morning away. She felt Chloe stir beside of her.  _How can a person possibly look so gorgeous the morning after a night of drinking?_ Beca smiled as she watched Chloe stretch out and let out an adorable little squeak.

"Good morning, beautiful. How are you feeling?" Beca said softly.

"Mmmm… aside from a slight headache, I feel fantastic." Chloe beamed over at the brunette.

Beca gathered up the courage to ask Chloe the question that had been going through her mind. "So… I was wondering if you remembered everything about last night." Beca said timidly, chewing worriedly on her bottom lip.

"Well, I remember going to the amphitheater and seeing all of the Bellas. I remember drinking several particularly strong drinks, then leaving the party with you. It's the next part that I'm having difficulty with…"

Beca looked like somebody had just bought her a puppy then drop kicked it across the room. "Oh… I-"

She was silenced by Chloe's finger against her lips. "I'm having difficulty because I keep telling myself that what happened last night was some wonderful dream where I kissed the most wonderful woman and then she told me that she felt the same way I did." Chloe said with a bright smile.

"If it was a dream, then I never want to wake up." Beca reached over and ran her fingers through soft curls. "Before we take this any further, though, I need to end things with Jesse. You and I both know we're not the kind of people to cheat. I won't belittle my feelings for you like that."

"You're so amazing, Beca. I just can't believe this is all real. I didn't think that I would ever have a real chance with you. I resigned myself to the fact that I would only ever have you as a friend. Now, I get everything that I have wanted ever since you came strolling into my life your first year at Barden. It's just so overwhelming. I couldn't possibly be happier." Chloe laid her head in the crook of Beca's neck and let out a sigh of contentment.

The door opened and Jesse walked in carrying 2 movie cases. "I know you said you had a term-" he froze mid-sentence. "What the hell, Beca?"

 _Fuck…_ Beca's heart jumped into her throat. "Jesse! I know how this looks, but it isn't what you think."

"Then explain to me why I'm standing here looking at my girlfriend cuddled up with another woman in bed, when she told me that she was working on a term paper." Jesse said icily.

"I-" Beca was lost for words. This was it. She had to tell him. She had to do it for Chloe, but most of all, she had to do it for herself. "I can't do this anymore Jesse."

"Can't do what, Beca?" Jesse looked confused and hurt.

"Us, Jesse, I can't be with you anymore. I've tried to make it work for so long because I knew you were happy, but I can't care for you the way you want me to." At this point tears were streaming down the normally stoic woman's face. Chloe softly stroked her back, offering her silent support. "I love you, I really do, but only as a dear friend. I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to be honest with you. I know that I've hurt you and you will never know how sorry I am for that, but I have to do what I think is best for myself."

"Is this because of her?" Jesse said, casting a glare towards Chloe. "I've seen the way she looks at you. I know she's in love with you. I'm not blind."

"Yes and no." Beca said honestly. "I've known for a while that I'm not happy in this relationship. I just couldn't ever gather up the nerve to tell you before now. Being with Chloe this weekend gave me the push I needed. I never meant to hurt you Jesse."

"How could you do this, Beca? I thought you cared for me. Did you ever have feelings for me?" Jesse said in an unsure voice.

"I thought I did, but now I'm not so sure." Beca said softly. "You were relentless with your advances, Jesse, and I guess I finally just caved. I talked myself into believing that I was just running away from my emotions. If I could go back and do things over I would, but I can't. I'm so so sorry Jesse. I never wanted you to get hurt."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't really help me now, does it?" Jesse said, casting his eyes to the floor. He brought his eyes back up to Beca. "You're sure this is really what you want?"

Beca glanced over at Chloe for a brief moment then faced Jesse again. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life." she said confidently.

Jesse gave her a slight nod. "Then I won't stand in your way. If this is what makes you happy, I'll stand out of the way. I love you, Beca, and I want to see you happy. Even if I'm not the one that can give you that happiness."

Beca stood up and walked over to Jesse giving him a hug. "Thank you Jesse. I know you're hurting right now, but I hope that someday we can be friends again. I don't want to lose you from my life completely. One day you are going to find someone who can love you the same way you love them. You're a great guy and you deserve to be happy."

"I hope you're right, Beca." Jesse said quietly. He turned to Chloe. "Take good care of her and treat her right. You don't know how lucky you are."

"You don't have to worry about that. I treasure her more than anything else in my life." Chloe said without hesitation.

Jesse nodded and with one more look towards Beca, walked out the door. Beca let out a breath that she didn't even realize she had been holding. She walked back over to the bed and collapsed on it, burrowing her face into Chloe's shoulder.

Chloe wrapped one arm around the petite woman and started slowly stroking Beca's hair. "You did the right thing, you know. It wasn't fair to either one of you to continue the relationship. Now both of you have a chance at real happiness. Now you and I can be together." Chloe gently raised Beca's head up and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead.

Beca smiled over at the redhead. "I would do anything in the world to be with you, Chloe Beale."

Chloe softly kissed the other woman and Beca melted into the feel of her soft lips. Chloe pulled back slightly and gazed into dark blue eyes. "Now that we have each other, nothing in this world is going to come between us."

Beca curled in closer to Chloe and felt both of the redheads arms close in around her. Beca wished she could freeze time and stay in that moment forever. Beca decided that right there in Chloe's arms is where she belonged. No matter what it took she resolved to herself that she was going to make sure that was where she would always stay.


	7. Spring Break

Things could not have been going better for Beca. It had been nearly 2 weeks since she and Chloe had admitted their feelings for each other. Spring break began the next day and she had made plans to visit Chloe in New York. She would finally have the chance to take Chloe on their first official date. That thought both exhilarated and terrified her. She was never really good at the whole first date thing. She usually ended up getting nervous and inevitably doing something to humiliate herself. She prayed that she would be able to get through her first date with the other woman without tripping or spilling something.

She shuffled around her dorm room grabbing everything she needed to pack for her trip. She was thrilled at the thought of seeing Chloe again. While the long distance that separated them wasn't ideal, they were both willing to make sacrifices to be together. Beca grabbed her phone and typed out a message.

_Beca: Hey beautiful. I'm packing for Spring break. Can't wait to see you tomorrow._

It wasn't long before Beca's phone lit up with a new text message. Beca opened the message and smiled as she read the screen.

_Chloe: Tomorrow is so far away. I miss you so much! Can't wait to see you! Xoxo_

_Beca: You ready for our first official date?_

_Chloe: I'm so excited. It's going to be perfect._

_Beca: You don't even know what I have planned yet._

_Chloe: We could eat McDonalds in the alley behind my apartment and it would still be perfect because I would be with you. 3_

_Beca: Damn, and here I wanted my plans to be a surprise. Who told?_

Beca wished she was as confident about their date as she had let on in her messages. In truth, she was terrified she was going to mess something up.

_Chloe: Lol. You're such a goober._

_Beca: Hey what can I say? I just like the thought of putting one of those gorgeous smiles on your perfect face._

_Chloe: Awwww. You better watch it, your cheesy romantic side is showing._

_Beca: Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain, you know._

_Chloe: Your secret is safe with me. Your badassness is still intact. ;)_

_Beca: I better finish packing. I never realized I owned so many clothes until now. I will see you tomorrow._

_Chloe: Can't wait. xoxo_

Beca exited the cab after paying her fare and stared up at the building where Chloe and Aubrey shared an apartment. She took a deep breath and pressed the intercom button. Chloe's sweet voice came through the speaker. "Hello?"

Beca leaned in closer to the intercom. "Hey Chlo. I'm here."

"Hmmm… I'm not sure if I should let you in. I'm expecting a really beautiful woman in from college and she'll be here soon." Chloe had a mischievous tone to her voice.

"Well, then I suppose I'll just come back later then." Beca played along.

Chloe laughed. "I'll buzz you in. See you in a sec."

Beca opened the door and made her way up to Chloe and Aubrey's apartment. She knocked and moments later the door swung wide open and she was pulled into a deep kiss. She let her body melt into Chloe's, locking her arms around the redhead's neck. They only broke apart when the need for air became absolutely necessary. Beca pulled back and looked at the other woman. "I could get use to greetings like that." The brunette smirked.

"Mmmm… I just wanted to show you how much I've missed you." Chloe smiled.

"It's just so wonderful to have you here with me again. You never know how much you appreciate someone until you can't be with them all the time." Chloe led Beca over to the couch to sit down.

"Tell me about it. The thought of you hasn't left my mind since you left Barden last weekend." Beca said, gazing into bright blue eyes.

"Mmmm… who knew? Beca Mitchell, badass extraordinaire, is really just a big ball of mush." Chloe giggled playfully.

"Only when I'm around you." Beca grinned. "You, Miss Beale, bring out a side of me that nobody else knows exists."

"Well then, I guess I should consider myself lucky, then. This just happens to be my favorite side of you." Chloe said, grinning.

"So, where's Aubrey at? I figured she be out here as soon as I came in so she could give me the "best friend talk." Beca said, feigning horror.

Chloe smiled and playfully smacked Beca in the arm. "Behave yourself. You two are going to have to get along for the duration of your stay. I refuse to play peacekeeper the whole week while you two try to see who can come up with the most creative insult." Chloe playfully glared at the petite brunette.

Beca and Aubrey shared a very strange love/hate friendship, even after their victory at the ICCAs. Beca always just chalked it up to their vastly different personalities and the fact that neither of them would back down in a disagreement. Despite their differences, Beca discovered that she had a soft spot in her heart for the uptight, controlling blonde.

"She has to work until late this evening, so it's just you and me for a while." Chloe explained.

"Oh. Okay." Beca felt her nerves kick into overdrive. She hadn't spent a lot of alone time with the redhead since they had started dating. She suddenly felt like a nervous teenager sitting there with the other woman. She fidgeted with her wristband, suddenly hyper aware of her surroundings. She couldn't figure out why Chloe made her so nervous. This was the same woman she had met almost four years. She should be comfortable around her by now. She felt Chloe slide over next to her, placing her hand on Beca's knee.

"Hey, are you okay?" Chloe asked in a worried tone. "You seem really tense."

"Y-yeah." Beca stuttered. "I, uh, I guess I'm just nervous around you." she admitted bashfully.

"Hey," Chloe said gently, placing her finger under Beca's chin and bringing her head up to face her. "You have nothing to be nervous about, sweetie. This is new to both of us. We're going to take this at the pace that you are comfortable with, okay?"

Beca smiled over at Chloe. "I don't even know why I get so nervous around you. I guess I'm just afraid of doing something to mess everything up. I'm not used to having everything go smoothly. Usually when something good happens in my life, something always happens to mess it up."

"You don't have to worry about that with me. You're stuck with me now, whether you like it or not." Chloe said confidently. "Nothing is going to mess this up for us, Beca." When Chloe spoke those words, Beca truly believed them. As long as the had each other, things would be okay.


	8. Date Night

Beca had spent the entire day secretly planning for her date with Chloe that night. She had even recruited Aubrey's help with the preparations. Even as she sat on the couch cuddled up with Chloe, she was going over every detail of the upcoming evening. She prayed that Chloe would be happy with what she had planned. She felt Chloe playing with her fingers as they sat in comfortable silence.

Chloe's voice rang through the silence. "So do I get any clues about this mysterious date tonight?"

Beca looked over at the other woman and smirked. "Nope. You'll just have to wait and see tonight."

"But, how do I know what to wear? You have to at least let me know if I need to dress up." Chloe pouted. "I need to be planning my outfit so I can look extra hot for you tonight." She shot a seductive look over at the brunette.

Beca swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. God, could she be any sexier? She cleared her throat. "You look extra hot in anything you wear. You wear what you want tonight. You always look perfect to me." Beca said sincerely.

Chloe leaned over and planted a kiss on Beca's cheek. "God, you're so sweet. I'm going to go pick out my outfit for tonight." Chloe jumped up off the couch and practically skipped off to her bedroom. Beca couldn't help but smile widely at her girlfriend's adorable behavior. She pulled out her phone and typed out a quick message.

Beca: Everything going okay on your end?

Aubrey: Everything's taken care of. Now all you have to do is get Chloe out of the apartment for a while. I have to hand it to you, what you've planned out is really sweet. I never would have imagined there was a single romantic bone in your body.

As she read the message, she rolled her eyes and acknowledged the fact that that was the closest thing to a compliment she would ever get from the blonde. She owed Aubrey big time for all that she was doing for her. She would have to do something special for the woman to show her appreciation.

As the evening drew nearer, Beca's nerves became more and more frazzled. She couldn't help but imagine everything that could possibly go wrong. Each scenario that ran through her mind was worse than the one before it. She stood in front of the mirror and appraised her reflection. Not bad… She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and stepped out in to the living room. "You ready to go Chlo?" she asked loudly enough for the redhead to hear her.

"Just about. I'll just be two more minutes." Chloe responded. Beca sat down on the couch and waited for Chloe to finish up. She heard the sound of footsteps approaching and looked up. She forgot to breath for a moment when she caught sight of her beautiful girlfriend. Chloe was wearing a strapless red dress that stopped right above her knees and hugged her body in all the right places. The black high heels she wore accentuated her beautiful legs and her beautiful fiery hair cascaded in curls around her face. Beca was lost for words. In fact, she rather doubted she could remember how to speak at all.

"You like it?" Chloe asked with a smile plastered to her face. Beca could only nod stupidly. Chloe giggled. "You look pretty amazing yourself."

Beca had opted for a black, one shouldered dress that stopped about 4 inches above her knees paired with matching black heels. Her hair was swept up with some of the shorter pieces framing her face. "Thanks." Beca said shyly.

After a brief awkward silence, Beca finally spoke up. "You ready to go m'lady?" she said as she held her arm out for Chloe to take, doing her best impression of a dapper gentleman. Chloe giggled and took hold of the proffered arm, and Beca led the way outside of the apartment. She hailed a taxi and opened the door, gesturing for Chloe to enter first. She scooted in after the other woman and directed the driver to Central Park. "I figured we could take a walk while it's still light out and then eat dinner." Beca explained.

The evening was turning out to be a success so far. They had strolled through Central Park arm in arm talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company. When the sun began to sink beneath the horizon, they decided to go have dinner. Beca surprised herself when she managed to make it through the entire dinner without incident. As they finished dinner and were getting back into the cab, Chloe looked over at Beca and smiled. "It's a shame to see the evening end so soon."

Beca smiled back at Chloe. "The evening's not over yet. I still have one more thing planned for us." Chloe looked at Beca curiously but didn't question her.

When they arrived back at the apartment, Beca led Chloe up to the roof access. When they walked through the door, they were greeted with the sight of hundreds of lights strung across the roof. There in the middle of everything, was a small table for two with a candle burning in the middle. The table was filled with various desserts and a bottle of chilled champagne sitting in an ice bucket. The sound of Beca's personal, Chloe-inspired mixes filled the air. Beca was impressed with Aubrey's work. The woman had really outdone herself.

Beca heard Chloe gasp quietly beside her. "This is wonderful, Beca! Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before. It's so perfect." The redhead pulled Beca in for a passionate kiss.

Beca pulled back slightly and gazed into pools of blue. "I would do anything in the world to make you happy, Chlo. You don't deserve anything less than perfect, and I would move Heaven and Earth to make sure that's what you get."

A single tear tracked it's way down Chloe's cheek. "You make me so happy, Beca. Despite what you may think of yourself, you are perfect. Under that tough exterior, and beyond all of those walls that you put up, there is a kind and sensitive person. I feel so honored and special that I'm the one that's lucky enough to be allowed to see beyond those walls at the real you."

Beca smiled and brought her hand up to wipe away Chloe's tear. "Walls were never an option around you." Beca laughed. "I knew that from the moment you burst into my shower demanding that I sing for you. The barriers that worked at keeping everybody at arm's length from me, never even slowed you down. You're special Chlo. You are comfortable being you and you never change who you are for anyone. I admire that so much."

They spent the night cuddled up on the blanket that Aubrey had been thoughtful enough to provide, feeding each other and enjoying being close to each other. That was the first night that Beca, the cynical realist, first started believing in magic.


	9. Graduation Day

Present Day…

Chloe's POV

"Beca? Beca, baby, please wake up." Chloe pleaded. "Oh God, Beca, please don't go. I need you so much. I need you to fight. Please, baby. Just hang on…" Tears streamed down the redhead's face accompanied by the sound of her heart wrenching sobs. She held on tightly to Beca's fragile body, rocking the both of them back and forth. So caught up in her grief, Chloe wasn't even aware of the flashing lights and blaring sirens that came rushing in. Chloe only became aware of her surroundings when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss? Miss… I'm sorry, but I'm going to need you to move back so we can work on your friend here." a young paramedic said urgently. She did as she was asked, moving back out of the way while the two men rushed in to assess Beca's condition. Tears were still streaming down her face as she overheard the two men as they worked to strap Beca's limp body to a board. "Single GSW to the right chest, no indication of an exit wound. No breath sounds on the right side. Possible collapsed lung. Patient has lost a significant amount of blood. Pulse is present, but very faint…"

Chloe breathed a small sigh of relief. Beca was alive for now, but how long she would last was the question that nobody knew. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold it all together. She had to be strong now. She had to stay strong for Beca…

9 months ago…

Beca's POV

Beca stared at her reflection in the mirror. Wow… I can't believe I'm actually graduating college today. The fact that Beca had actually stayed for four years at Barden had surprised everyone. Especially herself. Her original plans had been to suffer through a year to appease her father, and then hightail it off to L.A. to establish herself in the music industry. She would have never imagined that one awkward shower invasion by a certain blue-eyed beauty would change the entire course of her future. Looking back on it now, she wouldn't change a single thing. Every decision she had made thus far had led her to Chloe. To her happiness.

The subject of her thoughts came up behind her, wrapping both arms around her waist and resting her chin on the shorter woman's shoulder. "You made it." Chloe smiled. "I can't believe it's been four years since we first met. How does it feel to know that college life is over now?"

Beca leaned back into Chloe's embrace. "It's sad in a way, I guess. I'm going to miss the Bellas the most, I think. Those girls really grow on you after a while." Beca smirked. "As long as I have you, though, I'm ready for whatever life throws at me." The two women had been dating for almost three months and they had been inseparable. The long distance hadn't stopped them from seeing each other everyday, thanks to Skype, and they took every opportunity they had to visit one another. Beca knew that in the time that she had known the other woman, she had formed a closer bond with her than with any other person she'd ever had in her life.

"So… have you been thinking about what your plans are now?" Chloe asked curiously.

Beca had, in fact, been putting a great deal of thought into what lay ahead for her. She still had a desire to go to L.A., but with Chloe in New York, it would make it incredibly difficult for the two of them to see each other regularly. She had been fighting an internal battle for weeks, trying to come up with a solution. One night, lying in her bed, she had come up with the perfect solution. Now she just had to gather the courage to put her plan into action. She turned to face the woman. "Yeah, actually, I have. I think I still want to move to L.A.," She saw the crestfallen look on Chloe's face. "and I want you to come with me." she said, looking uncertainly to the other woman.

Chloe's eyes had grown comically wide. "You… you want me to what?"

Beca smiled timidly, momentarily dropping her gaze to the floor. Looking back up into Chloe's eyes, she repeated her last statement. "I want you to come with me… to L.A. I know it's asking a lot of you. You have your job and Aubrey in New York, but I don't think I can live without you ,Chlo. Sure, we could make the long distance thing work. We've been doing it for almost three months now. I just… I don't want to spend anymore time away from you than I have to. You are the most important thing in my life. I… I love you." Beca breathed out. It was the first time either of them had said those three words.

Chloe seemed momentarily shocked by Beca's confession, but then shock was soon replaced with unmistakable joy. "You love me?" Chloe grinned widely.

Beca shuffled nervously. "Of course I do. You mean the world to me, Chlo."

Chloe's eyes were welled up with tears. "I love you too, Beca. I love you so, so much. I just… L.A… that's a huge decision. Can I just think about it?"

"Of course! I don't expect you to give me and answer right away. I'm not going to pressure you into making a decision. Take all the time you need." Beca smiled reassuringly.

Chloe pulled the shorter woman in for a kiss, pulling back sooner than Beca wanted her to. "We need to finish getting you ready for the ceremony." Chloe explained. "We can't have you missing your own graduation!"

Chloe's POV

Chloe's mind was reeling. She sat through the lengthy ceremony, not even paying attention to the speakers. So much had happened in the course of one day. Not only was today Beca's graduation, but they had said "I love you" to each other for the first time and the younger woman had asked Chloe to move to L.A. with her. To be honest, Chloe never imagined that Beca would be the first one to say those three words. The usually stoic and reserved DJ wasn't exactly forthcoming with her emotions. It had caught Chloe completely by surprise. After the initial shock, Chloe couldn't have been more thrilled.

Then, there was the L.A. thing. Could she really leave everything she had established in New York to move to a completely new place? It was such a major, life changing decision and Chloe was conflicted.

As they began to call the names of each of the graduates, Chloe turned her attention to the stage. As Beca's name was called, and she made her way across the stage, Chloe's heart filled with pride and love for the DJ. Watching the woman she loved take the next step towards her future, Chloe was struck with absolute clarity. Beca was the one. There would never be anybody else for Chloe. She would do absolutely whatever it took to be with Beca. Moving to L.A. wouldn't be easy, but as long as Beca was there by her side, she would make it through okay. She had her answer…

Beca's POV

The ceremony had ended and people had begun to scatter, joining with their families and loved ones. Beca caught sight of a familiar head of ginger locks and set off to greet Chloe. When she reached the other woman, she was immediately pulled into a tender kiss.

"I'll go to L.A with you." Chloe said excitedly

"What?" Beca asked. She wasn't sure if she had heard the other woman correctly.

"I'll go to L.A. with you!" Chloe repeated. "I would follow you to the ends of the Earth, Beca Mitchell. I love you!"

Beca smiled widely. She was getting everything she wanted out of life. As she stood there gazing at Chloe, she realized something. She wasn't just looking at her girlfriend, she was looking at her whole life and her whole future.


	10. Moving Day

Present Day

Chloe's POV

Chloe sat in the front of the ambulance in a trance-like state of shock. She could hear the paramedics in the back rattling off stats as they worked tirelessly to keep her Beca alive. She stared down at her trembling hands, still covered in Beca's blood from where she had applied pressure to the gunshot wound in an attempt to keep the other woman alive long enough for help to arrive. She felt nauseous, and cold, and empty. What if she doesn't make it? The same nagging thought played over and over again in her head. The redhead couldn't imagine her life without the DJ now. She was pulled away from her thoughts when she heard the statement that made her blood run cold.

"She's crashing! We're losing her!"…

5 months ago

Beca's POV

Beca and Chloe brought the last of the boxes in from the moving van and sat them down in the floor. They had spent the last couple of months job and apartment hunting. They had finally found an apartment just outside of L.A. that they had both fallen in love with instantly. Chloe had secured a job teaching at a private music academy, and Beca had made some connections and landed an internship at a record label. She had also landed a gig moonlighting as house DJ at a local club.

Beca walked across the living room and plopped down on the couch. "Oh my God… I haven't done this much cardio since Aubrey was captain of the Bellas!" the DJ whined dramatically. This elicited a series of giggles from the other woman. Beca couldn't help but burst into a small fit of giggles herself. Chloe's bubbly disposition was contagious.

"Don't get too comfortable over there. We still have to unpack, you know." Chloe said, standing with her hands on her hips. Beca would never understand where Chloe got all of her energy from. Repeatedly climbing four flights of the steps from Hell while carrying boxes full of God only knows what had left Beca completely exhausted. Chloe, on the other hand, acted as if she were ready to compete in a triathlon.

"Whoa, slow your roll there, Energizer Bunny. What, did you run Red Bull through the coffee maker this morning?" Beca smirked over at the other woman. Chloe pouted over at Beca, who found it irresistibly adorable. "We have plenty of time to unpack and do everything that needs to be done. Right now, I see a sexy redhead standing across the room who really needs to come and lie on the couch with me." Beca said, patting the space next to her while putting on her best charming smile.

Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes, something she had picked up from Beca over the years. "You're such a cheater, Beca Mitchell. You know I can't resist an offer for cuddling." The redhead walked over and laid down beside of the DJ. Beca pulled Chloe closer and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Don't think this gets you out of work, though. We can stay like this for a little while, then it's back to work." Chloe said, trying her best to sound stern.

Beca smiled wickedly, and leaned close to the other woman's ear. "We'll see about that." she whispered seductively, running her tongue along the shell of her girlfriend's ear.

She felt Chloe shiver, smiling victoriously. She shifted their positions, until Chloe was lying on her back, and Beca was straddling her hips. Leaning forward, she captured Chloe's mouth in a searing kiss. Pulling back, Beca trailed her hands down the redhead's chest and over subtly defined abs, finally coming to a brief pause at the hem of Chloe's shirt. She slowly slid the material up, showering every inch of newly exposed skin with open mouthed kisses and teasing bites. Chloe let out a small moan at the contact, encouraging the younger woman to keep going.

Beca slid the shirt up over Chloe's breasts, finally pulling it over her head and tossing it to the side. Beca moved her hands up, squeezing and massaging Chloe's breasts through her bra. The small moans spilling from Chloe's lips fueled Beca's desire. Reaching around the redhead, Beca deftly unfastened the clasp on Chloe's bra, sliding it down the woman's arms and tossing it to the side as well. Beca pulled back for a moment, making quick work of her own shirt and bra, adding them to the rapidly growing pile beside of the couch.

Beca slid up Chloe's slender body, catching the singer's taut nipple in her mouth and biting down gently, causing the woman beneath her to squirm. Beca continued her ministrations, eventually switching to the other breast and repeating the same actions. Chloe writhed and moaned at the contact, silently begging for more. Beca took mercy on the other woman, unbuttoning and removing her shorts and underwear, as well as removing her own.

"Mmmm… maybe we should stop…" Beca teased, "There is an awful lot of stuff that needs unpacked."

"Fuck it… We'll do it later!" Chloe groaned out. "Just… fuck me."

Chloe didn't have to say anymore. Leaning back down, Beca crashed her lips against Chloe's, reaching down to where the redhead needed her most. Beca brushed her finger against Chloe's clit, causing the other woman to gasp in pleasure. The redhead's breathing began to grow rapid as Beca rubbed slow circles around her clit with her thumb. Beca gently slid one finger into Chloe and began working it in and out, adding a second finger and increasing her pace. Beca moved down, capturing Chloe clit between her lips and sucking, still keeping a steady rhythm with her fingers. Chloe's moans became louder as her walls clenched around the DJ's fingers. Beca rode out Chloe's orgasm with her, withdrawing her fingers only when the last wave of ripples subsided. She moved back up to kiss her girlfriend tenderly.

"God… you're so amazing." Chloe said, still trying to catch her breath.

Beca suddenly felt herself grabbed and flipped around so that the redhead was straddling her. It really did amaze her how much energy Chloe had.

"Your turn…" Chloe said seductively leaning down to capture the brunette in a kiss.

Many hours later, both women lay cuddled up on the couch. Chloe had her face burrowed in the crook of Beca's neck.

"So… about that unpacking…." Beca said mischievously.

"Mmmph… we'll do it tomorrow." Chloe responded lazily. "Cheater…."


End file.
